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【Objective】 Change in topsoil water content is intricately linked to plant transpiration, and understanding its spatiotemporal variation at large scales is crucial to improving water and agriculture management. The objective of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of remote sensing for estimating topsoil water content, its association with crop water stress index (CWSI) and the impact of cropping systems. 【Method】 The experiment site was an irrigation field at Jiefangzha in Hetao Irrigation District. The topsoil water content in different cropped lands (sunflower, summer maize, spring wheat and pepper) was calculated, inversely, in 2014 using the MOD16A2 imagery, meteorological data, and the P-M model and CWSI. The estimated soil water content was compared with ground-truth data. 【Result】 The CWSI and topsoil water content were inversely proportional. The method was accurate for estimating topsoil water content in wheat and sunflower lands, with the determination coefficient between the estimated and measured soil water content for the wheat and sunflower lands being 0.748 and 0.357, respectively. However, it was less accurate for maize and pepper lands as they were irrigated more frequently. These suggested that the remote sensing-based method works better when the soil is dry than when it is wet. 【Conclusion】 The CWSI-based remote sensing method is more suitable for estimating topsoil water content in lands planted with drought-tolerant crops than lands grown with water-demanded crops which need more irrigation. Our results provide insight into the impact of cropping systems on accuracy and reliability of remote sensing methods for estimating topsoil water content. It has potential application for agricultural management in arid and semi-arid regions.

Inflammation promotes the degradation of the extracellular matrix, which contributes to the development of osteoarthritis (OA). Adipocyte enhancer binding protein 1 (AEBP1) participates in multiple pathological processes related to inflammatory diseases. However, the role of AEBP1 in OA development is unknown. We found a higher AEBP1 expression in articular cartilage of OA patients (n = 20) compared to their normal controls (n = 10). Thus, we inferred that AEBP1 might affect OA progression. Then mice with destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery and chondrocytes with IL‐1β treatment (10 ng/mL) were used to mimic OA. The increased AEBP1 expression was observed in models of OA. AEBP1 knockdown in chondrocytes reversed IL‐1β‐induced inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation, which was mediated by the inactivation of NF‐κB signaling pathway and the increased IκBα activity. Co‐immunoprecipitation assay indicated the interaction between AEBP1 and IκBα. Importantly, IκBα knockdown depleted the protective role of AEBP1 knockdown in OA. Moreover, AEBP1 knockdown in mice with OA showed similar results to those in chondrocytes. Collectively, our findings suggest that AEBP1 knockdown alleviates the development of OA, providing a novel strategy for OA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is difficult to avoid deep surgical site infection after spinal surgery. Debridement combined with closed suction irrigation (CSI) and other treatment methods lead to greater trauma and lower satisfaction. We developed a new method for the treatment of SSI, which has the advantages of less invasiveness and lower cost. The cohort of this retrospective study comprised 26 patients with SSI after undergoing spinal surgery in our hospital from August 2017 to March 2022. The patients were divided into CSI and microtube drainage group according to treatment methods. The durations of antibiotic use and hospital stay, hospitalization costs, and functional scores during follow‐up were compared between the two groups. The only baseline characteristic that differed between the two groups was sex. Infection was controlled in both groups and there were no recurrences during follow‐up. However, the length of hospital stay after the first operation and the total length of stay were significantly greater in the CSI group. Hospitalization costs and antibiotic costs were significantly higher in the CSI group. Additionally, the duration of intravenous antibiotic use was significantly longer in the CSI group. Both the CSI and microtube drainage groups had significantly improved of Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36) scores 6 months postoperatively. However, 3 months postoperatively, SF‐36 scores were significantly lower in the CSI group. Compared with debridement followed by CSI, percutaneous micro‐drainage tube irrigation combined with high negative pressure tube drainage is a more efficient and economical means of treating SSI after spinal surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]